How to Deal With Pain

Dealing with pain is a challenging problem that all of us face at some point in our lives. Pain comes in many forms, from back pain to ulcer pain, but no matter what kind you experience, there are ways to deal with it. Burning pains, sharp pains, dull pains and even phantom pains are dealt with in effective ways that do not always involve medication. Mental approaches also minimize or diminish the effects of pain.

Instructions

• 1

  Mentally accept the pain. Accepting the pain is one way to start dealing with it. This is a Buddhist-style approach that often works well. To accept pain, you must first know what it is. Internally investigate the pain mentally and isolate it as a series of sensational effects. Avoid any emotionally charged thoughts about the pain, including thinking about how it affects you, what it is preventing you from doing, or wishing it would go away.

• 2

  Analyze and describe the source of the pain. Try to locate the pain and then, very critically, start to analyze it. Ask yourself what it feels like, and describe it to yourself. It also helps to talk about it with others. Rate the pain on a scale of 1 to 10, then think about what makes it feel better.

• 3

  Create a plan to deal with the physical side of the pain with a qualified doctor or nurse. Tell him or her exactly what the pain is and what eases it. You should be able to describe the pain very well after analyzing it thoroughly.

• 4

  Follow through with your plan to minimize the pain by closely adhering to your doctor's instructions. Take any medication as prescribed. This includes taking pills with food or without, in the correct amount and at the right times of day.

• 5

  Continue to mentally examine your pain and, when possible, note any changes in it. When you visit your doctor or nurse again, tell him or her how successful the pain therapy was and what changes have occurred. This helps in assessing the effectiveness of the treatment.